Network slice based user equipment (ue) steering in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various embodiments comprise a wireless communication network to perform slice-based steering for User Equipment (UE). In some examples, a control plane detects an event UE and responsively selects a network slice to support the traffic type for the event UE. The control plane selects a Radio Access Network (RAN) to serve the event UE based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the RAN and directs the RAN to broadcast a slice Identifier (ID) for the selected slice. The RAN receives the direction from the control plane and responsively broadcasts the slice ID for the event UE. The event UE detects the slice ID broadcast by the RAN, matches the slice ID to a provisioned slice ID, and responsively attaches to the RAN. The event UE wirelessly exchanges user data over the RAN.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a wireless communication network to perform slice-based steering for User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:
 a control plane detecting an event UE and responsively selecting a network slice to support a traffic type for the event UE;   the control plane selecting a Radio Access Network (RAN) to serve the event UE based on one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the RAN and directing the RAN to broadcast a slice Identifier (ID) for the selected network slice;   the RAN receiving the direction from the control plane and responsively broadcasting the slice ID for the event UE;   the event UE detecting the slice ID broadcast by the RAN, matching the slice ID broadcast by the RAN to a provisioned slice ID for the event UE, and in response, wirelessly attaching to the RAN; and   the event UE wirelessly exchanging user data that comprises the traffic type over the RAN.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control plane selecting the RAN to serve the event UE based on the one or more KPIs comprises inputting the one or more KPIs into a data structure that correlates the one or more KPIs to an ability to support the slice type for the event UE and selecting the RAN based on an output from the data structure. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the one or more KPIs comprise one of more of slice IDs, Radio Access Technology (RAT) type, band frequency, bandwidth, Physical Cell ID (PCI), Fifth Generation Quality-of-Service Identifier (5QI), maximum uplink bitrate, maximum downlink bitrate, and cell loading. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the data structure comprises a machine learning algorithm trained to correlate the one or more KPIs to an ability to support the slice type for the event UE. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control plane detecting the event UE comprises:
 an Application Server (AS) transferring an event UE request that indicates the event UE for delivery to a Network Exposure Function (NEF); 
 the NEF exposing the event UE request to the control plane; and 
 the control plane receiving the event UE request and responsively detecting the event UE. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control plane detecting the event UE comprises:
 the event UE transferring an Application Programming Interface (API) call to a network API; 
 the network API receiving the API call, determining the event UE is authorized for preferred treatment; and notifying the control plane; and 
 the control plane receiving the notification and responsively detecting the event UE. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the RAN indicating RAN capacity data to the control plane; 
 the control plane receiving the indication and determining when the RAN capacity data triggers a handover threshold; 
 when the RAN capacity data triggers the handover threshold, the control plane selecting another RAN to serve the event UE based on one or more KPIs for the other RAN, directing the other RAN to broadcast the slice ID for the selected network slice, and directing the RAN to stop broadcasting the slice ID for the selected network slice; 
 the RAN removing the slice ID from its broadcast; 
 the other RAN broadcasting the slice ID for the event UE; 
 the event UE detecting the RAN is no longer broadcasting the slice ID, detecting the slice ID broadcast by the other RAN, matching the slice ID broadcast by the other RAN to the provisioned slice ID for the event UE, and in response, handing over to the other RAN; and 
 the event UE wirelessly exchanging user data that comprises the traffic type with the user plane over the other RAN. 
 
     
     
         8 . A wireless communication network to perform slice-based steering for User Equipment (UE), the wireless communication network comprising:
 a control plane to detect an event UE and responsively select a network slice to support a traffic type for the event UE;   the control plane to select a Radio Access Network (RAN) to serve the event UE based on one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the RAN and direct the RAN to broadcast a slice Identifier (ID) for the selected network slice;   the RAN to receive the direction from the control plane and responsively broadcast the slice ID for the event UE;   the event UE to detect the slice ID broadcast by the RAN, match the slice ID broadcast by the RAN to a provisioned slice ID for the event UE, and in response, wirelessly attach to the RAN; and   the event UE to wirelessly exchange user data that comprises the traffic type over the RAN.   
     
     
         9 . The wireless communication network of  claim 8  wherein the control plane is to input the one or more KPIs into a data structure that correlates the one or more KPIs to an ability to support the slice type for the event UE and select the RAN based on an output from the data structure. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9  wherein the one or more KPIs comprise one of more of slice IDs, Radio Access Technology (RAT) type, band frequency, bandwidth, Physical Cell ID (PCI), Fifth Generation Quality-of-Service Identifier (5QI), maximum uplink bitrate, maximum downlink bitrate, and cell loading. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9  wherein the data structure comprises a machine learning algorithm trained to correlate the one or more KPIs to an ability to support the slice type for the event UE. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless communication network of  claim 8  further comprising:
 an Application Server (AS) to transfer an event UE request that indicates the event UE for delivery to a Network Exposure Function (NEF); 
 the NEF to expose the event UE request to the control plane; and wherein: 
 the control plane is to receive the event UE request and responsively detecting the event UE. 
 
     
     
         13 . The wireless communication network of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a network Application Programming Interface (API) to authorize devices for preferred treatment; and wherein: 
 the event UE is to transfer an API call to the network API; 
 the network API is to receive the API call, determine the event UE is authorized for preferred treatment; and notify the control plane; and 
 the control plane is to receive the notification and responsively detect the event UE. 
 
     
     
         14 . The wireless communication network of  claim 8  further comprising another RAN; and wherein:
 the RAN is to indicate RAN capacity data to the control plane; 
 the control plane is to receive the indication and determine when the RAN capacity data triggers a handover threshold; 
 when the RAN capacity data triggers the handover threshold, the control plane is to select the other RAN to serve the event UE based on one or more KPIs for the other RAN, direct the other RAN to broadcast the slice ID for the selected network slice, and direct the RAN to stop broadcasting the slice ID for the selected network slice; 
 the RAN is to remove the slice ID from its broadcast; 
 the other RAN is to broadcast the slice ID for the event UE; 
 the event UE to detect the RAN is no longer broadcasting the slice ID, detect the slice ID broadcast by the other RAN, match the slice ID broadcast by the other RAN to the provisioned slice ID for the event UE, and in response, hand over to the other RAN; and 
 the event UE to wirelessly exchange user data that comprises the traffic type with the user plane over the other RAN. 
 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a wireless communication network to perform slice-based steering for User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:
 an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) detecting an event UE and responsively selecting wireless network slices to support a traffic type for the event UE;   the AMF selecting a Radio Access Network (RAN) to serve the event UE based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the RAN and directing the RAN to broadcast System Information Blocks (SIBs) that include slice Identifiers (IDs) for the selected wireless network slices;   the RAN generating SIBs that include the slice IDs and wirelessly broadcasting the SIBs;   the event UE wirelessly receiving the SIBs broadcast by the RAN, detecting the slice IDs included in the SIBs, matching the slice IDs detected in the SIBs to provisioned slice IDs for the event UE, and in response, wirelessly attaching to the RAN; and   the event UE wirelessly exchanging user data that comprises the traffic type with a User Plane Function (UPF) over the RAN.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the AMF selecting the RAN to serve the event UE based on the one or more KPIs comprises inputting the KPIs into a machine learning algorithm trained to correlate the KPIs to an ability to support the wireless network slices and selecting the RAN based on an output from the machine learning algorithm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the KPIs comprise slice IDs, Radio Access Technology (RAT) type, band frequency, bandwidth, Physical Cell ID (PCI), Fifth Generation Quality-of-Service Identifier (5QI), maximum uplink bitrate, maximum downlink bitrate, and cell loading. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the AMF detecting the event UE comprises:
 an Application Server (AS) transferring an event UE request that indicates the event UE to an Application Function (AF); 
 the AF forwarding the event UE request to a Network Exposure Function (NEF); 
 the NEF exposing the event UE request to the AMF; and 
 the AMF receiving the event UE request and responsively detecting the event UE. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the AMF detecting the event UE comprises:
 the event UE transferring an Application Programming Interface (API) call to a network API; 
 the network API receiving the API call, determining the event UE is authorized for preferred treatment; and notifying the AMF; and 
 the AMF receiving the notification and responsively detecting the event UE. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 the RAN determining RAN capacity based on average spectrum efficiency and channel bandwidth and indicating the RAN capacity to the AMF; 
 the AMF comparing the RAN capacity to a bitrate requirement for the event UE and determining the when the RAN capacity falls below the bitrate requirement; 
 when the RAN capacity falls below the bitrate requirement, the AMF selecting another RAN to serve the event UE based KPIs for the other RAN, directing the other RAN to broadcast other SIBs that include the slice IDs for the selected wireless network slices, and directing the RAN to remove at least one of the slice IDs for the selected wireless network slices from the SIBs; 
 the RAN removing at least one of the slice IDs from the SIBs and broadcasting the SIBs; 
 the other RAN generating the other SIBs that include the slice IDs and wirelessly broadcasting the other SIBs; 
 the event UE receiving the SIBs broadcast by the RAN and the other SIBs broadcast by the other RAN, detecting that at least one of the slice IDs provisioned to the event UE is not included in the SIBs, matching the slice IDs detected in the other SIBs to the provisioned slice IDs for the event UE, and in response, handing over to the other RAN; and 
 the event UE wirelessly exchanging user data that comprises the traffic type with the UPF over the other RAN.